An American man has been arrested in the death of an American tourist and an assault on another near Neuschwanstein Castle in southern Germany after he allegedly pushed the two women down a steep incline, authorities said Thursday.
The incident near the popular tourist attraction occurred Wednesday afternoon near the Marienbruecke, a bridge over a gorge near the castle that offers a famous view of Neuschwanstein.
The 30-year-old man met the two tourists, ages 21 and 22, on a hiking trail and lured them onto a trail that leads to an overlook, police said in a statement.
He then «physically attacked» the younger woman, police said. When her partner tried to intervene, he strangled her and pushed her down a steep incline.
The assailant then appears to have attempted to sexually assault the 21-year-old before pushing her down the slope as well. She fell almost 165 feet and ended up near her friend.
A mountain rescue team reached both women. The 22-year-old was «receptive» and was taken to a hospital, police said; a helicopter took the 21-year-old to another hospital with serious injuries and she died there overnight.
The suspect left the scene but was quickly arrested nearby. Video posted online by a bystander showed police leading away a handcuffed man wearing a T-shirt, jeans and a baseball cap.
Witness Eric Abneri, a recent University of Pittsburgh business graduate who filmed the video, said the man appeared to have scratches on his face.
“He didn’t say a single word. She didn’t open her mouth; she didn’t mutter,” Abneri told The Associated Press. «She just walked with the police and that was it.»
Abneri said he and his friends made it to the overlook when a helicopter arrived and saw rescuers descend on the victims.
“Honestly, I am absolutely flabbergasted that anyone is still alive from this. It’s like falling from the top of an absolute cliff,” he said.
Abneri described it as “a very, very difficult rescue because of those cliffs and because the helicopter got a few meters above the tree line at the top of the hill.”
“They did an amazing job,” he said.
Police said the man they arrested was American and also described him as a tourist; Prosecutors said the women were fellow US citizens. The 22-year-old remained hospitalized Thursday, according to prosecutors.
Authorities did not identify the suspect or the victims or provide further details.
Police said a judge in nearby Kempten ordered the suspect on Thursday to be held pending possible prosecution, a process that can take months, and he was taken to jail. He is under investigation for suspicion of murder, attempted murder and a sex crime.
Police said they and prosecutors were focusing on trying to piece together exactly what happened and asked for witnesses to come forward.
Neuschwanstein, located in southern Bavaria near the Austrian border, is one of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.
It is the most famous of the castles built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. Construction began in 1869 but was never completed. Louis died in 1886.